PrintPrint
Fourth at the Point 
Patriots Point will be playing host to one of the area's biggest Fourth of July celebrations, which is expected to draw about 27,000 revelers. From 4 p.m. to midnight, people can enjoy the concerts by the East Coast Party Band and Threshold, a 42-foot waterfront Ferris wheel, and a Kids Zone that includes an inflatable aircraft carrier. A 24-minute fireworks display will be launched from the USS Yorktown at 10:05 p.m. Local food and drink vendors will be on hand. There is no charge to attend but visitors are encouraged to bring a red, white or blue canned food item. For more information, go online.
More festivities on the Fourth
For a different view of the Patriots Point fireworks show, board the Carolina Belle for its July 4th Fireworks Cruise. It boards at 7:30 p.m. at the Maritime Center for a cruise from 8 to 10 p.m. While on the Belle, enjoy some barbecue, music and views of the harbor. Tickets are $32.50 and can be purchased by calling 843-722-1112. In North Charleston, the city is hosting a celebration at Riverfront Park on the old Naval Base. Activities start at 3 p.m. and include live bands and a fireworks show over the Cooper River at 9 p.m. The Summerville Community Orchestra is giving a sunset concert at The Ponds amphitheatre that will be followed by a fireworks show. Gates open at 6 and the concert starts at 8 p.m. There is no charge to attend.
Inaugural weekend
Mount Pleasant is officially opening its Memorial Waterfront Park at the base of the Ravenel Bridge on Harry Hallman Boulevard. The opening festival is on Friday from 4 to 11 p.m. with plenty of kids activities - face painting, balloon artists, music. The dedication will be at 6:30 p.m. near the Visitor's Center with a performance by the Charleston Community Band afterward. Then at 8 p.m., head to the pier to hear the East Coast Party Band. There is no charge to attend and parking will be available at the park and the College of Charleston Athletic Complex (with a complimentary shuttle bus). For more information, go online.
A revolutionary return
Make a return to this holiday's historic roots by visiting National Historic Landmark Middleton Place where visitors will return to the plantation to see the American Revolution come to life. Reenactors will be encamped in the plantation stableyards and will be acting out activities throughout Saturday and Sunday. Watch military tactical demonstrations, cooking and camp life demonstrations. At noon on Saturday, a wreath-laying and salute will take place by the Daughters of the American Revolution, and at noon on Sunday, the regiment will march to the inn for a wreath-laying and salute to the 200 Americans who died there during the Revolution. A formal reading of the Declaration of Independence will take place at 3 p.m. on both days. Admission to Middleton Place is $25 and there is no charge for children 7-15 with the purchase of a ticket. For more information, go online.
Folly in pictures
Folly Beach has a character all its own - one that photographer Frank Melvin Braden has captured in his work and a new book, The Humours of Folly. Plum Elements is hosting an opening reception for his exhibit and book signing tonight from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Come meet the photographer and the book's author Ellie Maas Davis. The exhibit will be open at Plum Elements until Aug. 2. For more information, call 843-727-3747 or go online.
Bluegrass and Moonpies
Head over to Market Street this Friday night for a nostalgic childhood treat and some bluegrass music. The MoonPie General Store is hosting bluegrass band Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain for a concert in front of the store at 7 p.m. Hassler has been reviewed as a clear, powerful vocalist balanced with a band full of mandolins, banjos, guitars, fiddles and bass, and has been compared to Alison Kraus. There is no charge to attend.
Food of July celebration 
For a foodie celebration of the Fourth of July, make a reservation over at Circa 1886 for its Fourth Annual Sizzling Southern Celebration at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Enjoy a multi-course dinner with live music and drinks. Highlights from the menu include a butterbean salad with bacon, Wadmalaw tomatoes, pulled pork, cornmeal encrusted fried shrimp and blueberry cobbler. After dinner, watch the fireworks from the Wentworth Manion cupola and toast the nation's birthday with a glass of champagne. Cost is $70 not including tax and gratuity. For information or to make reservations, call 843-853-7828 or go online.
Rugby showdown
Striped shirts and scrums are coming to Daniel Island. The Rugby World Cup Qualifier game between the USA Eagles (at right) and Canada will be played at Blackbaud Stadium this Saturday at 4 p.m. This is the first full international rugby match ever played in South Carolina and will be broadcast live on ESPN in high definition. Tickets range from $15-$40 and can be purchased online. For more information, go online.
At the Joe 
Kick back with a cold beer and a hot dog and watch the Charleston Riverdogs play the Greenville Drive tonight and tomorrow at the Joe Riley Stadium. At tonight's game, beer is only a dollar and a few fans will win tickets to the new Transformers movie. The game starts at 7:05 p.m. Then on Friday, gates open at 5 p.m. for the early first pitch time of 6:35 p.m. Wear a red shirt and get a dollar off your ticket. Then stick around after the game for a fireworks show. General admission tickets are $5. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 843-577-3647 or go online.
It's a mad world
It sold out at Theatre 99 back in the winter, and now it's making a comeback at the Village Playhouse. Reefer Madness, the musical comedy takes its name after a 1936 cautionary film about the dangers of a certain drug and has since been turned into a tongue-in-cheek comedy about the spiraling downfall of all-American teens when they fall prey to drugs. The musical numbers range in style from Broadway to Vegas to gospel. Performances start tonight at 8 p.m. and run through Saturday. Tickets are $25 or $20 for students. Purchase tickets by calling 843-795-2223 or at the door. For more information, go online. 
Eastside Surfblog
See what the surfblogger has been up to with the latest episode in his tales of surf and sand in the Land of 10,000 Lakes? Check out the surfblogger's latest post here, drop him a note ... or, better yet, go surf!
Coming soon:
In appreciation: From July 1-Sept. 15., in celebration of Independence Day and in honor of their service to their country and communities, members of the military, veterans, firefighters, police officers and emergency medical service members can receive complimentary admission to Drayton Hall plantation and house. For more information, call 843-769-2600 or go online.
Pirates! exhibit grand opening: 9 a.m. July 7 at the Charleston Maritime Center and the Children's Museum of the Lowcountry. The museum is staging a pirate's siege to celebrate its newest exhibit. For more information, go online.
Ted's Craft Beer Dinner: 7 p.m. July 16 at Ted's Butcherblock. The Coldest Beer Dinner of the Year will feature cold beers with a four-course dinner of cold dishes. Tickets: $30. Reservations are required and can be made by e-mailing Ted's.
Low Country Discovery, Reptiles: July 11 at 11 a.m. Ages 8 to 12 can explore the wild and interesting reptiles that live in the Francis Marion National Forest and Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. It's a hands-on experience involving live animals. Registration required by July 9, call 843-928-3368. No charge.
Print